Silo.



w A. CALDWELL.

SILO.-

APPLICATION FILED JULY 20.19l5.

gl, Patented oct. 9,1917.

- 2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

w. A. CALDWELL.v

SILO.

APPLICATION FILED lULY 20. |915.

1,242,420. Patented ot. 9,1917. v

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

` CaZweZZ new and useful Imprcivements in Silos, of.v

warnen A. CALDWELL, or osKAroosa. iowa.'

SLO.

Specieation of Letters Patent.

Patented ceac, 1917.

application inea Juiy 2o, 1915. serial No. 41,006/

To all whom Z5 may concern:

Be it` known that I, W'ARREN, A. CALDJ WELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Qskaloosa, in the county of Maha'ska, and State of Iowa, have invented certain which the following is a specification.

This invention has relation to silos and like structures and-,has for hits object to provide convenient means whereby a silo or like structure may be formed of reinforced concrete or any other suitable material and to provide thev same with various new and useful features which hereinafter will be more particularly described and claimed.

The invention consists of a silo or like structure embodying lnumerous slabs or staves of 'reinforced concrete or other suitable material having interlocking margins and bound by means of hoops, rods or bands,-

whereby the wall of the structure renderedl substantial and practically impervious` to moisture, the slabs or staves entering into the formation of the wallv being of varying dimensions as desired. n

A further purpose of` the invention' is the provision of a silo or like structure embodying slabs or staves constructed to interlock atA their edges and larranged to break Joint vertically and laterally, thee-vertical courses having their meeting endsiinterlocked in a manner to admit of the Vbinding hoops, bands, or the like, engaging portions of adjacent staves or slabs.

The invention, furthermore, has for its object the provision of a stave or slab of such formation as to admit of its'use in the formation of silos of different sizes, the several slabs or staves making substantial interlocking joints in any one of the different sizes ofl silos within given limits.

With these and other objects in view, which will readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the improved construction and novel arrangement and combination of parts which willbe hereinafter fully described and particularly claimed.

In the accompanying drawings has been illustrated a simple and preferred form of the invention, it being, however, understood that no limitation is necessarily made to the precise structural details therein exhibited, but that changes,y alterations" 'and modifications within the, scope of the invention as claimed may be resorted to when desired. v

Referring to the dray'vinge.el

Figure l is a .view in elevation of `a silo embodying the invention; y

Fig..2 is a view in elevation of a slab or stave; l

Fig. 3 is an edge view of the slab or stave; Fig. 4L isl an end view of the stave; Y Fig. 5 isan enlarged sectional view of a portion of the silo or-like structure.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters. i

Inaccordance with this invention the-silo or analogous'structure is formed of a plurality ofl slabs or staves having the general forni indicated most. clearly in Fig. 2 with the exception that the staves forming the top and bottom courses of the structurehave their outer edges straight and each of suoli courses comprising long and short staves having an alternate arrangementwh'ich results in the formation of break joints,.as indicated most clearly in- Fig. l. i Fig. 2 illustrates a slab 'or'stavel which preferably formed of 'concrete' but which be constructed of any suitable material.

vThe stave is oblong and is reinforced by means 0f a stay l which consists of a metal rod or bar having a diagonal arrangement and terminating a short distancev from the ends and outer edges of the stave. Opposite ends of the stave ai'e similarly offset so that when a number of staves are placed end to end they will match, ask indicated most clearly in Fig. 1.l @ne end of the stave is formed with transverse edgeportions 2 and 3 which are out of line and separated bv means of an intermediate longitudinal portion or shoulder 1l. The transverse 'edge portions 2 and 3 are approximately oflike length. rlhe intermediate longitudinal portion l is of a length corresponding to the distance'between the edge portions?- and 8.

The shoulder oroffset 4 as Well as portions of the edges 2 and 3 are `formed with half round grooves designated respectively by the -numerals 5, 6 and 7. These several grooves VWith a half round 0f Aindicated at 9. .longitudinal edges 8 and 9 of the stave are outer ends a short distance from the' longitudinal edges 4of the stave,` thereby leaving outer portions of the edges 2 and 3 flat. One longitudinal edge of the stave is formed ove 8 whereas the op- Iposite longitudinal edge is made convex, as The concave and convex of Vcorresponding outline so as to match and extend transversely the full thickness of the stave, as indicated most clearly in Fig. 4. The opposite end of the stave is formed with transverse offset edge portions 10 and 11,

and an intermediate longitudinal portion or and the longitudinal shoulder 12 are formed lshoulder 12. rlhe edge portions 10 and 11 with projecting convex portions 13, 14 and '15 to match 'the corresponding grooves 6, 7 and 5 at the opposite end of the stave With the result that when a' number of staves are placed together With their ends in contact the projecting convex portions 13, 14 and 15 vof-'oiie .stave enter the grooves 6, 7 and 5 in the end of the adjacent stave, thereby forming an' interlocking joint to hold the staves in alinement against lateral displacement. .The outer portions of theedges 10 and 11 beyond the *projecting convex portions 13- top and bottom courses and are arranged to alternate .with the usual staves so as to .break joints, as indicated most clearly in Fig. 1. A structure embodying the invention has the abutting edge portions of ad jacent staves interlocked by reason of the concave and convex matching edges. The matching and abutting ends of the staves of adjacent courses have overlapping end. .,portions, as indicated most clearly in Fig. 1 and these overlapping end portions are engaged by means of the hoops, bands or binders 16 by means of which the structure .is held from outward displacement. Besides overlapping and having the overlapping portions engaged by the hoop or binder 16, the staves also interlock, by reason ofthe matching 'concave and convex edge portions.

The flat edge portions beyond the grooves and projecting convex edge portions abut and sustain-the major part of the weight,

'thereby preventing injury to the thin Walls 'along the sides of the grooves 6, .7 Y and 5. @ne side of each stave is flat, as indicated at 17 Whereas 'theopposite side may be convex, as indicated at 18, to conform approximately to the circular outline of a silo or like structure.

ln the formation of the slabs or staves the.

concave and convex edge portions vary slightlyl to admit of a limited play to allow for expansion and contraction of the material and also to permit staves of standard size'to be advantageously utilized in the formation of silos or like structures of different diaineters. In the formation of a silo or like structure the staves of the first course are placed on end with lshort stavesalter! nating with the long sta-ves. The staves of the remaining courses are of the usual length and are placed upon the staves of the preceding courses, thereby forming break joints. The several courses are made secure by hoops, bands or binders 16 which engage overlapping end portions of the staves of adjacent courses. The top course of the silo or structure comprises long and short staves having an alternate disposition with the vresult that the upper end of the silo'is level.. The roof may be of any construction and usually consists of slabs or staves of tapering form and arranged about as indicated in` Fig. 1 to forni a tight closure.

Having thus described the i1ivention, -.Wliat is claimed as new is 1. A. structure embodying staves, each having end portions formed with terminal faces iii different transverse planes separated by an intermediate longitudinal shoulder, the end faces and shoulder at one end of each stave being formed with a tongue terminating at its ends short of the longiF tudinal edges of the staves, the end faces and shoulder at the opposite end of each stave, being formed with a groove adapted to receive the corresponding tongue of an adjacent stave, said staves being arranged in'vertical courses and arranged to break joint, and a binder encircling the structure and bearing against the staves.

2. A structure embodying staves arranged in courses, the staves of one course breaking joint. with staves of adjacent courses, the abutting ends of staves of each course being formed with edge portions in different transverse planes separated by al longitudinal shoulder, whereby .vertical stresses upon the staves will be met and resisted by the transverse edge portions, and the abutting ends and shoulders of the staves of the courses bein formed with interlocking means preventing lateral movement of one stave With respect to the other in all directions.

3. A stave having longitudinal edges, one longitudinal edge being formed throughout its length with a tongue and the other longitudinal edge being formed throughout its length with a groove adapted to receive the tongue of a corresponding stave, each end of the stave being formed with faces in spaced transverse planes separated by an intermediate longitudinal shoulder, the shoulder and end faces, at one end of the stave, being formedl with a groove terminating .short of the' longitudinal edges'of the stave and 'the-shoulder and end faces at the opposite end. of the stave being formed With a tongue terminating short of the longitudinal edgesof the stave and adapted to seat in tliegroove of a corresponding stave,

Wherebywhen two staves are engaged end 'to end theV longitudinal shoulders will interlock and the tongue and groove formed at theabutting ends of the staves will interlock and hold the staves against independent lateral- Inovement in' all, directions.

4'. A stave for silo construction madeup of a plurality of duplicate sections arranged in endwise relation, each section v4being of approximately uniform Width and thick#- :ness and havingI the ends thereof presenting projections oppositely disposed With respect l to the longitudinalrnedianl line of the section to presentv abrupt shoulders longitudinally of' the section, the respective sections being arranged in opposing relation with respect to their projections( to provide an interit locking edge section against independent lateral movement With respect to the endWise adjacent sections, each section being. formed 4substantially throughout its .edge outline for interlocking t with end- A Wise adjacent sections and With lateral adjacent sections of the immediately adjacent staves. q

5. A stave having opposite end portions,

each formed with terminal faces in differenttransverse planes separated by an interina diate longitudinal shoulder, the end faces and shoulder at one end of the stave being formed With a tongue and the end faces and shoulder at the opposite end ofthe stave being formed With a groove adapted to re-` ceive the corresponding tongue of another stave.

6. A stave' having opposite end portions,

each formed with terminal faces in diil'erv ent transverse planes separated by an intermediate shoulder,- the end -faoes and shoulder at one end of the ystave being formed with a tongue and the end faces and shoulder-'at the opposite end of the stave being formed with a corresponding groove, and a diagonally disposed reinforcing bar embedded in the stave and having one end thereofv disposed near. they upper terminal face at onel end of the stave and its other end disposed near thev lower terminal face at the opposite end ofy said stave.

i 7. A structure embodying molded staves arranged in courses, thestaves of one course brealilng jolnt with the staves of Van adjacent course and the abutting ends of adjacent stavesbeing formed With terminal faces 

